The Energon Pub

or

One Man's Jurney

or

A BotCon Stoy


This Botcon was the first ever chance I had to attend, and I suppose that there was no better one to go to then this one. However I was worried about being there you see. Why you ask? Simple. Read these boards. Look back over the past few months. As this movie has progressed, the fan comunity has degraded. With each bit of news, each leaked script or image, there was more and more hatred and bickering. Not just hatred for movie designs, or Mr. Bay, but hatred against our fellow fans. Some were kicked because of this. Some simply stopped posting. We seemed determined to rip eachother apart at a time when we needed to come together.

No one said anybody HAD to watch the movie, or like what was in it, but people still slung the mud at one another. I was pretty sure that many opinions would be changed after the movie, which was mind you KICK ASS BEYOND REASON. I incluce myself in that mind changing, because i utterly hate Starscreams design. Still dont like it, but watching him do what he did in that movie was one of the most wicked things ever.

So here came Botcon. When we learned that Peter Cullen was going to be in attendance, I decided I needed to do something special. I dug my one and only G1 Prime out of storage. The 2002 new years re-issue one to be exact. Took me untill I was 20 years old to finaly get my Optimus Prime that I had always wanted as a child. It is very special to me you see, because I was an oddball child. I was the kid that loved the badguys, and not the heros. But I did have 2 heros that I treasured and that helped inspire me and my artwork. Optimus Prime, and Bravestarr's partner 30-30, both voiced by Peter Cullen. So I was bound and determined to have Mr. Cullen sign my one and only G1 Prime. But I was fearfull bringing it, because I was afrid there was going to be open fighting and shitstorms.

Think that fear is unn-justified? Again I tell you, read the boards over the past few months.

So when i got to Botcon, my heart nearly melted. Here I was, the first time ever at the ultimate geek convention, and people weren't arguing, or fighting. Here was the fan comunity that I was wanting to see so badly, smileing, laughing, and haveing a ton of fun, and doing it together.

It was utterly overwhelming to see all these people just like me. And whats more, people seemes eager to meet me too. We always see info on Botcon, the toys, panels, and dealer room is brodcast every year for everyone to see. But the actual experiance of being there, of talking to people from all over the world, of being submerged in a sea of fans, and of living, breathing and sleeping Transformers, is utterly indescribable. It is even joyous to meet someone, then find out you already know them as a screen-name.

I made many many new friends. Most from Canada, a few from Japan and England. I got to meet Getterdragun, ACS, Counterpunch, Siebs himself, and many more of the people here on these boards, and all of them were incredible and freidnly people. It was truly heartwarming and thrilling.

Many of you who were there are already aware of the problems with getting Peter Cullen's autograph. It is sad, and some say unfair. I myself was in the firt line when it got cut off, and saldy, I left before getting told they were going to give out tickets so I could be fist in line. So I was angry and heartbroken when I showed up early to be in the second line and was told too bad, no signing for you. As was my friend and his son who had come to Botcon with me. But then, after a few minutes, the fan community surprised me and melted my heart all over again.

One person in line with thier kid when he saw my friends kid said, hay man, i am only getting one thing signed, if you want I'll get your poster signed.

Another Person did the same for me and my Optimus Prime, which Peter Cullen signed in two diffrent Places! Then another person, who is now one of my new friends from Canada, said to my friend, "hay man, you need this signed more then I do" He then put down one of the two things he brought to get signed, so my friend could get his poster signed.

To see the fan community come together for fellow fans they didnt even know, proved that no matter how far apart we drift, we are still a community.

This Botcon was an experiance ill treasure always, and the faces and freinds i met there are truly an honor.

Till All Are One

Here, here. You just described my feelings of the experience completely. It was so nice to see everybody there helping each other out. I saw that countless times. It's a really good feeling to know that our fellow fans are such decent human beings.

And I have a picture with you and Counterpunch to boot!

Word.

Nice story. I'm glad to hear that people actually acted like humans in person. The boards and internet... the whole anonymity and ability to recreate yourself and nobody knows it is you allows some people to act in ways they would not normally even think about within a real crowd of people.

Again, I am glad that humanity did the right thing, and the internet-humanity stayed where it should... on the internet.